-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Who does n't like getting those retail discounts or free gift coupons from their favorite stores ?

But did you know there were strings attached , invisible eyes tracking your every consumer move ? And there 's little you can do to stop it .

We want to do something about that .

Businesses have long sought to attract and retain customers by recording and analyzing your shopping and lifestyle habits . To do so , they often rely on `` data brokers '' -- companies that collect and share our personal information and label us based on what they learn . And they do this mostly without our knowledge .

That fashionable handbag you found on sale ? They know about it . That great deal you got on the BBQ grill from the hardware store ? They 're tracking that too . And that box of Cheerios ? They already assumed you were going to buy that before you even entered the store .

The data broker industry has been booming in recent years , due to new technologies that enable the collection of massive quantities of our personal information . Because of the sheer volume of data we leave in our wake when we shop , browse the web , order a magazine , or post to social media sites , we are largely giving them all this valuable information .

Data brokers scoop up the digital breadcrumbs we leave as we shop in stores and online , and apply `` big data '' analytical tools to predict where we 're going , what we 'll buy , and what we 'll do -- sometimes even before we know ourselves what we 'll buy next .

There 's no question that the personal information that data brokers sell to retailers , financial firms , hotels , airlines and other businesses can provide benefits to consumers and our growing digital economy . It can help direct goods and services that are tailored to our interests and assisting businesses to combat fraud by verifying consumers ' identities .

They also take this information and use it to lump us into various , shorthand categories like `` Affluent Baby Boomer '' and `` Bible Lifestyle . ''

But if a data broker categorizes you as an `` Urban Scrambler , '' meaning a low-income minority , are you more likely to receive an offer for a payday loan than a credit card ?

What are the implications of being labeled as `` financially challenged ? '' Will it mean you are cut off from being offered the same goods and services , at the same prices , as your neighbors ?

Do you want a company to know that you have diabetes , high cholesterol , or another medical condition as long as it is willing to pay the going rate for health data ?

Most Americans do n't even know that data brokers exist , let alone that they collect and trade a staggering amount of our personal data . Brokers operate invisibly , buying and selling data about us without interacting directly with us . Too few offer easy ways for us to access our information or opt-out of their system of data collection .

The Federal Trade Commission , a bipartisan agency that works to protect consumers , is seeking to shed light on this largely unknown industry . The FTC has just released a detailed study of nine data brokers .

We found that data brokers collect billions of pieces of data on nearly every American consumer , often merging online and offline information . Data brokers are also making potentially sensitive inferences about consumers -- about their health , financial status , and ethnic backgrounds . And consumers have little if any window into this process , let alone meaningful control or choice about how their data is shared among businesses .

This week , the FTC has called on Congress to improve the transparency of the data broker industry , and to provide consumers more control over their personal information . We also recommend that Congress require data brokers to create a centralized website , among other measures , so that consumers can access their own data and opt out of data collection and retention .

I also believe data brokers should be required to take reasonable steps to ensure consumer information is not used for unlawful purposes , such as to illegally discriminate .

We need better transparency into how data brokers collect and use our personal information to help ensure that we not go down a path that leads to unfair exclusion , but rather one that widens opportunities for all consumers .

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FTC chairwoman Edith Ramirez warns consumers about invisible data brokers

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Transactions quietly surrender a gold mine of data , from where you live to what you like

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FTC wants Congress to improve the transparency of data broker industry

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It also wants brokers to create central website so consumers can see their own data , opt out